Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff

Trump Wants $1.5T for Defense. Is Hegseth Running for President? SERE Training 101. Pickles the Dog for President? Final Four Friday!

The ultimate split-screen moment in American history. While the world watched in awe as the Artemis crew headed toward the moon—representing the pinnacle of human achievement and international cooperation—the reality of global conflict hit home. In this urgent Friday blitz, host Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the breaking news of a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle being shot down over Iran. With one crew member rescued and another's status uncertain, we examine the tactical reality of "boots on the ground" in a conflict that continues to escalate despite a lack of public support.

Joining the conversation is a true American hero, NASA Astronaut and Navy Veteran Commander Scott Kelly. Drawing on his experience as an F-14 pilot and his time commanding the International Space Station, Kelly provides an insider’s perspective on the SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) protocols our downed aviators are facing right now. We also dive deep into the Artemis mission, the firing of Army General Randy George by Pete Hegseth, and why independent leadership is the only way to navigate a world that feels closer to World War III than ever before.

Key Moments & Chapters

00:00 - The Friday Blitz: Final Four & Yankee Stadium Opener.

05:30 - Breaking: US F-15 Shot Down in Iran.

08:15 - The Hegseth Purge: General Randy George Fired.

12:45 - 1,500 Days of War in Ukraine & the Iran Connection.

21:21 - Guest: Commander Scott Kelly Joins the Show.

24:00 - Ejecting in Enemy Territory: What the Pilots are Facing.

34:00 - Artemis: Why We Needed This Win.

45:00 - Will Scott Kelly Run for Office?.

50:00 - Hope as the Oxygen of Democracy.

-WATCH full video of this episode here.
-Playlist for Songs for a Year in Space.

-Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars.

-Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America.

-Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here.

-Remember Independent is an Attitude.

-Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.

Connect with Independent Americans:

Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms

Read more at Substack

Support ad-free episodes at Patreon 

Connect: Instagram  • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook 

Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky
-Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. 

-And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. 

Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. 

And now part of the BLEAV network! 

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What’s the Strategy to Stop More Forever Wars? Ro 2028? Will He and Massie Go Independent? House Prolongs DHS Shutdown. Go Artemis! Marines Scramble on ICE Story. 

Congressman Ro Khanna is back at a critical moment—and he’s bringing receipts, strategy and a plan. From Trump’s expanding and unpopular war in Iran, to the threat of new wars in Cuba and beyond, Ro joins host Paul Rieckhoff to lay out how Congress can actually stop a runaway commander in chief—using the War Powers Act, the power of the purse, and even impeachment. They dig into the stakes for troops on the ground, the real cost of war for a new generation of veterans, and why both parties are failing to meet the moment as gas prices spike, markets wobble, and the forever‑war machine spins up again.

Then, Rieckhoff and Khanna go deep on the Epstein files and the rare left‑right coalition that is finally forcing accountability for the “Epstein class”—from billionaires and power brokers to public officials who have escaped justice for decades. They talk ICE overreach, starving kids in Cuba under a fuel blockade, the Creator’s Bill of Rights for independent media, and whether Ro Khanna and Tom Massie should leave their parties and run as independents. It’s a fired‑up, hopeful conversation about Artemis, public service, and why courage—not party loyalty—is the new charisma

-WATCH full video of this episode here.

-Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars.

-Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America.

-Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here.

-Remember Independent is an Attitude.

-Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.

Connect with Independent Americans:

Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms

Read more at Substack

Support ad-free episodes at Patreon 

Connect: Instagram  • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook 

Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky
-Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. 

-And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. 

Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. 

And now part of the BLEAV network! 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trump Attends SCOTUS. 2026: The Year of the Drone. Artemis Mission Takes NASA Astronauts Back to the Moon. 

Independent Veteran vs MAGA Machine: Seth Bodnar’s Battle for Montana’s Senate. A Green Beret, Rhodes Scholar, university president and business leader, independent Senate candidate Seth Bodnar joins Paul Rieckhoff from Montana for a hard‑hitting, no‑BS conversation about taking on Trump’s MAGA machine, a rigged two‑party system, and the corrupt insider games that tried to handpick his opponent. From filing his campaign minutes before the party bosses pulled a fast one, to why he refuses to “put on a jersey” for either party, Bodnar lays out why Montana—and America—need an independent voice that answers to voters, not party leaders.

Rieckhoff and Bodnar dig into Iran, Trump’s threats to pull out of NATO, the new era of drones and “death from above,” and what it means for our troops, our democracy, and every American who’s sick of forever wars and political cowardice. They get into the stakes for 2026, the rise of Independent Veterans of America, and why independent, patriotic Americans everywhere must step up, get informed, and stay vigilant.

-WATCH full video of this episode here.

-Learn more and support Seth’s campaign for US Senate here.

-Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars.

-Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America.

-Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here.

-Remember Independent is an Attitude.

-Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.

Connect with Independent Americans:

Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms

Read more at Substack

Support ad-free episodes at Patreon 

Connect: Instagram  • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook 

Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky
-Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. 

-And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. 

Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. 

And now part of the BLEAV network! 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Drones Shut Down US Air Base. Senate Votes to Fund DHS. IED at MacDill AFB. Trump’s Signature to Be Added Dollars. Markets Crater. Guthrie back to Today. Shawn Ryan Done with Trump. Barkley for Governor. 

In episode 480 of Independent Americans, host Paul Rieckhoff delivers a hard‑hitting solo briefing on Trump’s increasingly unpopular forever war in Iran, exposing how the Pentagon is quietly preparing for U.S. boots on the ground despite overwhelming public opposition and a distracted Congress. He connects that escalation abroad to urgent threats at home—from sophisticated drone swarms that temporarily shut down operations at nuclear‑linked and fighter bases like Barksdale and Langley, to an IED plot at MacDill Air Force Base—arguing that America is dangerously unprepared for modern warfare on its own soil.

Paul also takes aim at the growing culture of cruelty and politicization inside our own institutions, from ICE reportedly staking out Marine Corps graduations to hunt undocumented family members, to acting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “more bombs, bigger bombs” rhetoric, alleged defense‑stock profiteering, and Trump’s open flirtation with clinging to power beyond two terms. Alongside the “No Kings” protests, Charles Barkley’s powerful comments on immigrants, and the long fight in Ukraine, he highlights a real alternative: a rising wave of independent veteran leaders like Seth Bodner in Montana and Brian Bangs in South Dakota who are challenging a broken two‑party system. It’s independent content for independent Americans—country over party, people over politics, and light over heat—to help you stay ahead of the curve and stay vigilant.

-WATCH full video of this episode here.

-Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars.

-Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America.

-Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here.

-Remember Independent is an Attitude.

-Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.

Connect with Independent Americans:

Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms

Read more at Substack

Support ad-free episodes at Patreon 

Connect: Instagram  • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook 

Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky
-Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. 

-And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. 

Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. 

And now part of the BLEAV network! 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the heart of Times Square, Independent Americans host Paul Rieckhoff joins Joy Reid, Don Lemon and Jim Acosta live at the massive “No Kings” protest as America pushes back against Trump’s latest war in Iran and the slide toward pre–World War Three. In this raw, on-the-ground episode, Paul shares the energy, creativity and unity in the streets, explains why this is a historic tipping point for independents, veterans and democracy, and lays out how a diverse, peaceful crowd is sending a message to the world that Americans are not “all crazy” and refuse another forever war.

You’ll hear Paul connect the Iran quagmire, Israel, and global public opinion, spotlight the growing independent media ecosystem with Joy, Don, Jim and Toure, and call out the authoritarian drift that has people in every party saying “no more kings.” He breaks down why veterans are turning out, what it means that over 50,000 troops are already in harm’s way, and how independents can channel this moment into sustained civic action far beyond one march.

-WATCH full video of this episode here.

-Join IVA and stand up to Trump’s Forever Wars.

-Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America.

-Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here.

-Remember Independent is an Attitude.

-Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.

Connect with Independent Americans:

Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms

Read more at Substack

Support ad-free episodes at Patreon 

Connect: Instagram  • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook 

Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky
-Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power. 

-And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year. 

Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media. 

And now part of the BLEAV network! 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.